How Do You Keep Your Teeth Clean After Braces?
Have you ever smiled after a meal, only to find your braces packed with bits of your lunch? Or perhaps noticed your once-clear elastic ligatures turning an odd shade after eating or drinking something? These are common woes for anyone with braces.
But there is no denying that straight teeth are not only attractive but are also easier to clean, reducing the risk of bacteria buildup and gum disease. However, achieving that perfect smile with the help of braces involves navigating the temporary challenge of keeping your mouth clean amidst metal brackets and wires.
So, how do you keep your teeth clean while wearing braces?
Essential Oral Hygiene Practices With Braces
One of the most fundamental aspects of wearing braces is maintaining stringent oral hygiene. After all, despite being instrumental in aligning your teeth to perfection, they simultaneously create small gaps that can trap food particles and increase the risk of plaque buildup.
This makes it essential to adopt an enhanced oral care regimen to protect your dental health during orthodontic treatment. Daily brushing and regular flossing become even more crucial to prevent decay and gum disease, ensuring that your investment in a healthier, straighter smile yields the best possible results.
Effective Tooth Brushing Techniques With Braces
Brushing your teeth with braces requires more effort and care than brushing without them. Regardless of the type of braces you have—whether traditional metal, ceramic, lingual, or removable aligners—the goal is to eliminate plaque and food particles that accumulate around the brackets and wires.
To ensure thorough cleaning:
Brush Frequently: Increase the frequency of your brushing to after every meal and snack, not just twice a day.
Right Angle: Start by angling your toothbrush at 45 degrees to clean around the tops and bottoms of the brackets. Use small circular motions to target the areas around and under the wires and brackets.
Inside and Out: Don’t neglect the inner surfaces of your teeth and the chewing surfaces. Use a circular motion for the inner surfaces and gentle back-and-forth strokes on the chewing surfaces. Pay special attention to the areas around the hooks and under the wires where food particles are most likely to get trapped.
Gentle on Gums: Use gentle strokes to brush your gums, as the area can become sensitive due to the braces. Circular motions on the gums can help stimulate them and keep them healthy.
Post-Meal Care: If brushing is not immediately possible after meals, a thorough rinse with water can help minimise plaque buildup until you can brush.
Selecting the Best Toothbrush and Toothpaste
While mastering the right brushing technique is crucial, equipping yourself with the best tools for the job can significantly enhance your oral hygiene routine too.
Choosing a Toothbrush: While a standard soft-bristled toothbrush can be effective, orthodontic brushes or electric toothbrushes with round oscillating heads are specifically designed to clean around braces more efficiently. These brushes can help navigate the nooks and crannies around brackets and wires, ensuring that all plaque and food debris are removed.
Choosing Toothpaste: A fluoride-rich toothpaste is recommended because fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and helps inhibit the growth of plaque-causing bacteria. If you experience sensitivity or gum discomfort, consider toothpaste formulated with desensitising ingredients to ease these symptoms while still providing robust cavity protection. This combination will ensure your teeth remain protected under the brackets, where bacteria can accumulate and cause the most harm.
Integrating Mouthwash into Your Dental Routine
Beyond brushing, integrating mouthwash into your dental routine can also help enhance your oral hygiene when you have braces on. This is because they are invaluable since they deliver anti-bacterial ingredients to the hidden nooks around brackets and wires where a brush might not fully reach, and plaque can easily accumulate.
When selecting a mouth rinse, opt for a fluoride-containing variant designed specifically for orthodontic care. This can support your dental health by helping to prevent cavities and reinforcing tooth enamel. It's also advisable to use mouthwash at least once daily, ideally at night, to ensure prolonged contact time with your teeth and braces, aiding in optimal oral health protection.
The Importance of Flossing with Braces
Building on your comprehensive oral hygiene routine, flossing plays a crucial role.
Although threading floss through the wires might seem daunting, it's essential for removing plaque and food particles that a toothbrush can't reach. The payoff is significant, preventing potential issues like cavities and gum disease.
To tackle the challenge of removing all the food particles and plaque lodged in the wires and around the brackets of your braces, several tools have been designed. Some of these include orthodontic floss, floss threaders, and water flossers to help you clean effectively between your teeth and along the gumline.
For standard floss, a floss threader can be invaluable. This simple tool helps you pull the floss behind the wires so you can reach the base of the teeth and gumline. To floss your teeth, thread the floss under the archwire, then slide it up and down along the sides of each tooth and under the gums. For those looking for convenience, a water flosser can be a game-changer, using a stream of water to clean effectively around the braces and between the teeth.
Adapting Your Diet to Support Clean Braces
Adjusting your diet is equally critical to maintaining clean braces and ensuring long-term dental health.
While it's tempting to indulge, certain foods can pose risks to your braces and make cleaning more challenging.
Foods to avoid:
Sticky Foods: Stay away from gummy candies, caramel, and other sticky sweets that can cling to braces and pull at them.
Hard Foods: Hard candies, ice, and nuts can break wires and dislodge brackets.
Tough Foods: Foods that require significant biting force, like raw carrots, should be cut into smaller pieces.
Braces-friendly foods:
On the other hand, incorporating soft and braces-friendly foods can enhance your comfort and minimise oral health risks:
Dairy: Soft cheese, yoghurt, and milk-based drinks are safe and provide calcium for tooth strength.
Soft Fruits: Bananas, berry smoothies, and applesauce are excellent for nutrition without the risk.
Grains: Soft-cooked grains like rice and pasta are gentle on braces.
Still unsure about maintaining clean braces or needing a professional dental cleaning with braces in Singapore?
Navigating the challenges of braces doesn't end with daily care at home. Regular professional check-ups are vital for maintaining optimal oral health. And if you're wondering whether you can still get professional dental cleanings with braces, the answer is yes!
In fact, regular dental check-ups are crucial for ensuring that your braces remain effective and your teeth stay healthy.
At Sincere Dental, we offer dental care for braces wearers, offering thorough cleanings and guidance on traditional or invisible braces tailored to your orthodontic needs.
Interested in ensuring an aligned smile with professional support? Contact Sincere Dental today to schedule your appointment with our team of dentists in Jurong.
